Congratulations to the Center Point Encore Athlete of the Month, Javon Davis! Javon is a freshman, multi-sport athlete at Center Point High School in Birmingham, AL. He plays on the Eagles Football and Baseball teams and wears jersey #19. Javon has also won the Erwin Football Championship Award in middle school. After he graduates high school, Javon plans to attend LSU and major in pre-physical therapy. He is the son of Giovanni and Jawata Davis.
Congratulations to the Fayette Encore Athlete of the Month, Tristan Nairemore! Tristan is a senior athlete at Hubbertville high school. He is a member of the Lions Varsity football team and wears jersey #52. The Lions Football team is undefeated so far this year. They stand 6-0 for the season, and 4-0 for their Region! Good luck the rest of the season, Lions!
Seventeen players already committed to Division I-A schools are among the players have been selected to the 40-player Alabama All-Star Team that will face Mississippi in the 30th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Game Dec. 10 at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl.
The roster, comprised of current high school seniors, was announced Tuesday by Alvin Briggs, Director of the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association. The annual contest is an event of the AHSADCA and the Alabama High School Athletic Association.
The game was played in Mississippi for the first time in the series last year. The hosts won 28-21 on the Southern Miss campus in Hattiesburg. That win by Mississippi snapped a seven-game winning streak by Alabama, which now holds a 21-8 edge in the series.
“We hope the 40-man Alabama roster selected for this year’s game will bring the Alabama-Mississippi Game Championship Trophy back (to Alabama),” Briggs said.
UMS-Wright Coach Terry Curtis, who is serving as the head coach for Alabama, will be coaching a squad full of Division I-A prospects – several still embroiled in national recruiting battles.
The roster, comprised of current high school seniors, was selected through a rigorous process that began last winter, Briggs said. “The selection committee has worked extremely hard to trim down the strong list of nominations to the 40 selected. It is a difficult task for sure, and we thank the committee for its dedication.
“We are excited about returning to Cramton Bowl. This will provide another opportunity for the AHSAA and City of Montgomery to work together to produce an exciting event for local fans as well as our friends from Mississippi and the vast TV and Radio audience that tunes in via Raycom Media’s Alabama-Mississippi TV Network and the AHSAA Radio Network.”
The annual all-star event was played at Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium since its inception in 1988 until 2010. It moved to Cramton Bowl from 2011-2014. It is now on a rotating basis between the two states.
Of the 17 players picked that are already committed, five have selected defending National Champion Alabama: running back Brian Robinson of Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa; offensive linemen Hunter Brannon of Cullman and Kendall Randolph of Bob Jones; defensive back Chadarius Townsend of Tanner; and linebacker Markail Benton of Central-Phenix City. Auburn has commitments from two, defensive backs Malcolm Askew of McAdory and Jordyn Peters of Muscle Shoals.
Three other SEC schools (Arkansas, Florida and LSU) have commitments from players on the roster while Southern Cal, North Carolina, Michigan, Duke, Purdue and UAB have at least one each.
Committed to LSU are defensive lineman Justin Thomas and McGill-Toolen defensive back John Young III. Arkansas has a commitment from quarterback Daulton Hyatt of Etowah, and tight end Zech Byrd of Stanhope Elmore has announced plans to sign with Florida.
Curtis’ Alabama All-Star coaching staff includes Caleb Ross of McGill-Toolen, Ben Blackmon of Spanish Fort, Kelvis White of Mae Jemison, Keith Etheredge of Pell City, Steve Smith of Piedmont, Ed Rigby of Elba and Richie Busby of Fultondale.
The game will be televised live over the Raycom Network of stations in Mississippi and Alabama. The contest will also be broadcast live over the AHSAA Radio Network.-AHSAA
Congratulations to Alana Loughrige who was chosen as the Hamilton Clinic Athlete of the Month! Alana is a senior, multi-sport, athlete at Hamilton High School, who plays Volleyball and runs track/cross country. She has played varsity sports for 4 years now wears the jersey number 7. Alana is the daughter of Karin Holliday. Keep up the good work Alana and good luck during volleyball season!
Summer used to be a time to slow down. There were no 7 on 7 tournaments, travel baseball and softball teams did not exist, and AAU’s primary focus was to get players from many different sports ready for the international play and the Olympics. But for athletes today, summer is time to focus on honing your athletic skills, improving your strength, speed, endurance, and preparing your body for the upcoming seasons. Because one thing is sure; right now, your opponent is getting better in order to beat you.
Are you doing the things you are supposed to do?
Staying hydrated is always important especially in the summertime heat. It’s important to weigh before and after every workout and consume 2-3 cups of water or sports drink for every pound lost during exercise. Water is great but if you are exercising for long periods of time, consuming a sports drink within 30 minutes after the workout will benefit you more due to the added carbs in the sports drink. Make sure you are checking your urine color for hydration status. Remember, you want it to look like lemonade, not apple juice.
Proper nutrition is key if you want to get the most out of your time spent in the weight room. Timing your snacks or meals is an important part of the equation.
– 3 hours prior to a workout or competition is the ideal time to eat a meal, however that is not always possible. If your workout is in the early morning, make sure you wake up in time to eat something.
– If you only have 30 minutes to an hour before a workout, keep it light with a granola bar/sports bar and a sports drink. If you have 1-2 hours prior to your workout, your breakfast should consist of fruit, whole grain toast or bagel with a little peanut butter, and 16 ounces of water or sports drink. Stay away from sugary cereals, whole milk, and high fat meats.
One of the most overlooked components of your plan should be getting the proper amount of sleep. Studies have shown that athletes who get 9.5 hours of sleep per night have improved proprioception (sense of body position) and reduced injury rates. If you find it difficult to fall asleep, lower the light level in your house or room 30-60 minutes prior to going to bed. Also, put a curfew on your technology. Make a decision to put your gadgets away and stop checking social media by 9pm.
Make no mistake; summer should be some of the best times of your life. Spending summer with family and friends and enjoying time away from class are some of my best childhood memories. However, you can still enjoy your summer while preparing your body for the season ahead. But it takes planning and commitment , something today’s athlete should already be accustomed to doing.
“Despite the lingering cold temperatures that February often brings us in the South, February is a time where those of us in sport medicine often turn our attention to spring sports. With spring comes longer days, warmer sun, greener grass, and the sounds of baseballs hitting the leather. Youth baseball is right around the corner and if you haven’t already been doing so, it’s time to get the arm in shape to prevent the early season injuries and soreness that often occurs.
Here are some tips from Pitch Smart USABaseball to prevent throwing injuries and avoid the overuse injuries we commonly see:
The common theme on the tips above is apparent; give your pitchers the rest they need and avoid year round, max effort pitching. A pitcher should try to get outs, not try to throw every pitch as hard as they can. Visit http://m.mlb.com/pitchsmart/risk-factors/ for more tips on risk factors in pitching.”
Sources:
1. Federation Internationale de Medecine du Sport/World Health Organization Ad Hoc Committee on Sports and Children. Sports and children: consensus statement on organized sports for children. Bull World Health Organ. 1998;76(5):445–447.
2. Andrews, James MD, Risk Factors for Injury, Pitch Smart USA Baseball, 2014, http://m.mlb.com/sections/pitchsmart/pdf/risk-factors.pdf
Congratulations to Sam Riley, a Senior at Winfield City High School who just recently won a state championship with the Winfield Softball team! Sam is planning on attending Wallace State Community College on a Softball scholarship and is pursuing a degree in Physical Therapy and Ultrasound. Sam is the daughter of Andy and Bobby Riley.
“Witt Black is a senior at East Limestone High School and a 3 sport varsity starter in football, basketball, and baseball. His class rank is 4/179 with a GPA of 4.36. He is a member of the First National Bank Student Advisory Board, Boys State Delegate, Wendy’s Heisman, Bryant-Jordan Nominee, Limestone County Spirit Award Representative, Senior Beta Club, Science Club, Spanish Club, Support Our Soldiers, FFA, and First Presbyterian Youth Group. Witt will be attending the University of Alabama in the fall, majoring in athletic training.”
Encore Rehabilitation, Inc. 